


One Of The Boys

by HadleeEstenLily



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts Era, Jegulus Week 2021 | Starchaser Week 2021, M/M, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), POV Regulus Black, The Marauder's Map
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 01:20:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29866974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HadleeEstenLily/pseuds/HadleeEstenLily
Summary: Jegulus/Starchaser fanfic following the timeline of All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89Told from Regulus's pov.NOTE: I do NOT claim ANY credit for dialogue taken from ATYD. It is included in order to match the events in the timeline ONLY. I did not take any creative liberties - IT IS WORD FOR WORD.Correlating chapters are posted in the notes for your reference.!!TW!!: Child Abuse, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Graphic Descriptions of ViolenceI WILL NOT be responding to comments on this fic. Thank you.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Regulus Black/James Potter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	1. First Year: The First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [All the Young Dudes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10057010) by [MsKingBean89](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsKingBean89/pseuds/MsKingBean89). 



> This chapter follows the events of chapter 21 from ATYD

“Hurry up! We haven’t got all day, Reg.”

Regulus rolled his eyes, trailing after his older brother with little enthusiasm. He wasn’t nearly as excited as Sirius, who'd been bouncing off the walls before they even left for Platform Nine and Three Quarters. When he had come back for the summer, he could hardly shut up about Hogwarts. It was the only thing he seemed to talk about anymore, specifically during Regulus’s piano lessons, and dancing lessons, and history lessons, and all the other lessons his mother had given him to busy himself before he got to school. It seemed she wanted him to learn every useful thing he could before studying magic, and Regulus couldn’t really blame her. Ever since Sirius got back, he’d become a complete waste of space, lounging around and scribbling away at what he said to be homework, though Regulus knew he was secretly writing letters to his  _ friends _ .

Sirius had dragged him into a compartment on the train, pulling Regulus by the sleeve and saying, “You’ll love them! I know you will.” Surprisingly, Regulus had let him. He wouldn’t usually encourage such behavior, but it wasn’t every day that Sirius looked so cheerful, and part of him didn’t want to ruin that, though he’d never admit it.

Summer had been a right mess, though he wouldn’t admit that either. Bellatrix’s wedding went smoothly, but after that, everything had started going downhill. Sirius just didn’t know when to stop. He never did.

“Here we are,” Sirius said with a grin, sliding open the carriage door and gesturing to the seats.

There was only one other person in the compartment, a straw-haired boy that looked like he could be younger than Regulus. He was abnormally small for a twelve-year-old, and he looked nervous, as if he wasn’t quite sure whether he was sitting in the right seat. His eyes darted between Sirius and Regulus, no doubt noticing how similar they appeared. Maybe he was actually having trouble telling them apart.

“Sirius,” the boy greeted, finally, giving the older brother a timid smile. “Have you seen James yet?”

“He’ll be along,” Sirius said, waving a hand dismissively. “Oh!” he added, as if he’d already forgotten, “This is my brother, Regulus. Reg, this is Peter.”

Peter smiled cheerily, but Regulus shot the expression down with a fierce glare. He didn’t have time for making friends with filthy half-bloods. Instead, he brushed into the compartment and sat down in the corner seat, placing his chin in his hand and staring broodingly out the window.

“Er… Sorry ‘bout him,” Sirius said apologetically, stuffing their stuff into the luggage rack. 

“S’ok,” Peter said, twisting his hands anxiously in his lap. 

Sirius plopped down on the seat next to Regulus and nudged his elbow, to which Regulus shot him a glare. Surprisingly, his brother didn’t return it. He only raised an eyebrow at him quizzically, silently asking why he was in such a foul mood. But Regulus didn’t want to talk about it. He  _ never  _ wanted to talk about it. He wouldn’t even know where to start.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The source of all their troubles always led back to one person in particular; their mother. Sirius knew that better than anyone, it seemed; even better than Regulus. He always knew exactly how to get on her bad side, and did so quite often. Too often, in Regulus’s opinion, but no matter how hard he tried to get Sirius to do as he was told, he just kept disobeying. He’d already fallen out of their family's favor for being placed in Gryffindor. You’d think that might’ve been enough, but no, not for Sirius. If anything, it had given him even more determination to be the worst kind of nuisance the Black family had ever seen.

Which led to Regulus’s  _ other _ problem; what house he’d be placed in. He was terrified of what would happen to him if he got into Gryffindor, or any house other than Slytherin for that matter. His mother was so adamant that he not add to the list of family disappointments; first Andromeda and now Sirius. What would happen if a third Black child was led astray? Their family reputation would be in ruins. They would fall out of favor with the other pure-blood families, and what then? Regulus wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to find out.

It was then that the door decided to slide open, cutting Regulus’s thoughts short. He didn’t even bother to greet whoever it was - just another dirty blooded wizard his brother had befriended - but his ears still pricked upon hearing the joy in Sirius’s voice as he welcomed the newcomer.

“James!” Sirius cried, jumping out of his seat and clapping the other boy on the shoulder.

Ah, yes. The infamous blood traitor.

“Hello Sirius, been a while,” James drawled, sounding just as cheerful. “You too, Pete.”

“Hiya James,” Peter replied, much more relaxed now that the other boy had arrived.

Regulus didn’t bother to greet him, or even glance at him. He just studied the view out his window all the more intently, watching as a girl chased an orange tabby cat down the platform, attempting to squeeze through the crowd so as to not lose track of it. He saw another girl hugging their mother goodbye, tears in her eyes.  _ Pathetic _ , he thought silently.

Then Regulus heard rustling from behind him as James placed his luggage on the rack. “And who’s this?” he asked no one in particular.

“Ah, that’s just my prat brother. Don’t worry bout him,” Sirius said as the boys settled into their seats. “You seen Remus?”

As if on cue, the door slid open again. Regulus rolled his eyes, becoming increasingly agitated with the noise. Was it too much to ask for a little peace and quiet? As the chorus of greetings started again, he attempted to stay focused on the platform, watching as a small boy tried to stick his fingers through an owl cage. Regulus wanted to warn him, but instead he just grimaced as the bird pecked the boy’s finger, drawing blood, and watched him burst into tears.

“Lupin!”

“Hiya lads. How’s it been?”

“We should be asking you!” James laughed. “Not one owl all summer!”

“You know I’m practically a muggle over the holidays. Couldn’t even get into my trunk to do homework; they locked it up.”

Regulus scoffed at the word  _ muggle _ . He couldn’t help it. It’d become a habit he’d picked up from his mother. She always seemed proud when he did it, and it certainly didn’t hurt her mood. It was too late, however. The boy was already frowning at him. He was on the taller side, with a shaved head of hair and a glower that seemed oddly familiar. Regulus found himself not fully dispising this one. At the very least, he didn’t sound nearly as cheerful as the rest of them.

“This is Reg,” Sirius introduced, now that his presence had been acknowledged. “Say hello, Reggie.”

“It’s  _ Regulus _ ,” he corrected irritably. Sirius only used ‘Reggie’ when he wanted to sound older, even though Regulus was the one who acted more his age.

“My darling brother,” Sirius told the boys.

Then someone shoved a hand toward him, and Regulus finally looked up to meet the gaze of the boy sitting across from him.

“Hi Regulus, I’m James,” he said, with an annoyingly friendly smile. His head was topped with dark curls, and large round glasses took up most of his face, but it didn’t stop his eyes from twinkling brightly. Regulus felt his stomach flip, no doubt a reaction from studying James’s detestable features, and looked down at his hand with all the disgust he could muster.

“Potter,” he spat.

That earned him a slap upside the head, which he flinched away from. It didn’t hurt, but whenever Sirius touched him, it always managed to take him by surprise. 

“Stop being such a little prick,” Sirius snapped. “These are my friends.”

_ Friends _ . Sirius’s ‘friends’ were half-bloods and blood traitors, and Gryffindors at that. Regulus shouldn’t be seen with them. With any of them.

“I didn’t _ want _ to sit here,” he snarled at Sirius. “You made me.”

Something flickered over Sirius’s face then, and Regulus thought it might’ve been disappointment, or even guilt, but it was gone so quickly that he thought he must’ve imagined it.

“Oh, go on, piss off, then,” Sirius said coldly. “Dunno why I bothered.”

Something boiled in Regulus’s chest. Sirius had no right to hold his convictions against him. He was only trying to make their family proud, something Sirius had failed at over and over again. He thought about slapping him back, but quickly decided against it. He didn’t feel like getting into a fight. That would require yelling and hitting, both of which Regulus wanted to avoid. Instead he stood, storming out of the car and slamming the door behind him. He made his way down the corridor, realising he hadn’t bothered to grab his bag. He decided he’d just go back for it once they arrived at the castle.

“Regulus?”

He stopped short, turning to see his cousin, Narcissa Black, poking her head out of a compartment door. She’d curled the ends of her new, platinum-blonde hair, and her bright blue eyes were narrowed at him suspiciously.

“Can you not find a seat?” she frowned.

He shrugged noncommittally at his cousin, not really wanting to sit with  _ her  _ either. Not if she was all cozied up next to her boyfriend, Lucius Malfoy. He didn’t want to have to watch them stick their tongues down each other’s throats, which he’d already seen plenty of at Bellatrix’s wedding.

“Come,” she beckoned to him.

He clenched his jaw in silent retaliation, but still did as he was told, walking toward the compartment timidly and pausing at the door. Thankfully, his sister was not with Lucius Malfoy, but with two other Slytherin girls, who smiled at Regulus fondly. They all wore the same silvery pin on their robes, encrusted with a ‘P’ for prefect. He’d almost forgotten that Narcissa had gotten the position, but now recalled how she’d offhandedly mentioned it at the wedding. She seemed quite proud of herself when she said it, but was quickly brushed aside without so much as a single voice of praise. Regulus had wanted to say something to her about it, but never got the chance.

“This is my cousin, Regulus,” Narcissa introduced. “It’s his first year at Hogwarts.”

“Hello,” he greeted them shyly.

“Wait,” one of the girls gasped, “Isn’t he the brother of your other cousin? The one who got into Gryffindor?”

Regulus flushed with shame, his eyes darting away from the girls as he grimaced. Apparently, Sirius had already formed a reputation at Hogwarts, which would no doubt only hurt Regulus’s image further. He wished his brother would just shut up and blend in for once. 

Narcissa rolled her eyes. “Ugh, please don’t bring up Sirius. He’s  _ such _ a disappointment. Don’t worry though. Regulus is nothing like him. Isn’t that right, Reg?”

Regulus hesitated for a second. He felt like saying it out loud would be wrong, like some sort of betrayal, so instead he just nodded curtly.

“See? He’ll end up in Slytherin for sure.”

Then Narcissa patted the seat beside her and Regulus obeyed, sitting down next to his cousin. The girls began to chat about their summer holiday, but Regulus didn’t feel inclined to join in. Instead he looked out the window, propping his head up on his hand like he’d done before, and as he watched the countryside whiz by, he couldn’t help but feel more out of place than ever.

* * *

When they finally arrived at Hogsmeade station, Regulus slumped back to his brother’s compartment, in search of his bag. When he made it to the door, he was surprised to find the seat was still occupied by none other than James Potter. He had kicked his feet up on the opposite bench and was sucking on a Liquorice wand contentedly. Regulus’s bag sat next to him, teetering dangerously on the edge of the cushioned seats. When he opened the door, James scrambled to his feet, pulling the candy from his lips as he gave the younger boy a once over.

“Er… Regulus. Right,” he said. He grabbed the strap of Regulus’s bag and offered it to him with a smile. “I figured you might come back for it.”

Regulus snatched it from him, carefully keeping his distance from the older boy.

“Didn’t steal anything, did you?” he snarled.

James frowned at him, shouldering his own bag. “No,” he replied indignantly.

“Good,” Regulus snapped. Then he rounded on his heel and began making his way off the train. He rummaged around in the bag, just to make sure that they really  _ hadn’t _ stolen anything. It seemed everything was in its place, as far as he could tell, and he allowed himself a small sigh of relief. Down the platform, someone was calling first years, and he headed in that direction, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he went.

No one had told Regulus about the boat ride across the Black Lake. Unlike the other eager students, who awed at the reflection of the glowing castle, Regulus felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him. He studied the dark water warily as the students were called into the boats, but it wasn’t like he had much choice in the matter. He took a deep breath before stepping inside and taking a seat, staring contentedly at his feet for the duration of the trip. He wondered if Sirius had conveniently forgotten to mention the lake to him, or whether he was indulging in the slow torture Regulus was currently experiencing. The trip couldn’t have lasted more than ten minutes, but to Regulus, it felt like it’d taken ages.

Then came the even harder part: the sorting.

Regulus was too apprehensive from the boat ride - and too concerned about the sorting - to care much for the magical ceiling of the Great Hall, or the floating candles, or the intimidating row of teachers at the head of the room. He just wanted to get into Slytherin, please his parents, and get it over with. That would end up attracting the least attention possible. He just wanted to fit in, and as a pure-blood, and a Black, there was no better place than Slytherin.

As the first years made their way to the front of the hall, Regulus spotted Sirius sitting at the Gryffindor table. Their eyes met briefly, but Regulus quickly glanced away, not wanting to think about what would happen if he ended up like his older brother. He could only imagine what his parents would say - or do - none of which was pleasant.

He was at least thankful that his last name started with a ‘B.’ That meant he got to be one of the first ones to go, which was better than anxiously waiting for his turn. Still, he felt his heart drop into his chest when his name was finally called. He slowly made his way to the stool, sitting on it and placing the hat on his head. It covered his eyes and most of his nose, and he jumped when a small voice spoke in his ear.

“Interesting,” it said softly. “Another  _ Black _ .”

_ Oh Merlin,  _ Regulus thought,  _ Please let me be in Slytherin. _

“You want to be in Slytherin?” the hat asked, though it didn’t seem all that surprised. “Are you sure? You have plenty of courage; honesty too. Not to mention your determination...”

_ Yeah, determination to be in Slytherin _ , Regulus thought sarcastically.

If the hat could laugh, Regulus thought it might’ve, because when it spoke again, it sounded exceedingly amused.

“How very resourceful of you,” it said gleefully. “Have it your way... SLYTHERIN!”

Regulus felt an enormous wave of relief crash over him, and he took the hat off, placing it back on the stool as he looked toward the uproarious table on the far right side of the room. Narcissa was smirking at him, her eyes twinkling with pride. He felt a surge of satisfaction then, and made his way to the table, his peers shaking his hand excitedly.

Suddenly, a boy with greasy black hair and a long, pointy nose patted him on the back. “Lucky you’re not a foul git like your brother, eh Black?”

Regulus felt a hot sear of anger flash through him, and he had the overwhelming urge to break the boy’s already ugly looking nose. He shoved the feeling down, however, as he always did, instead following the boy’s gaze over to the Gryffindor table. His eyes landed on Sirius, who was staring directly at him. His expression was unreadable, but there was something heavy in his gaze. After a second, Sirius looked away, his long hair falling into his face as he turned towards James to say something.

Regulus watched them for a moment before Narcissa grabbed his shoulders and smothered him in a hug. He cringed, trying to squeeze out of it, but she was a lot stronger than he was. Finally, she pulled away.

“Our family is going to be so proud, Regulus!” she beamed, elated. “I can’t wait to show you everything! You’re going to love our common room.”

Regulus only smiled, too taken aback to say anything. He rarely ever got hugs, especially not from his family, but he had to admit she seemed freer here; happy even. Possibly more exuberant than Regulus had ever seen her at home. She sat him down beside her, and the sorting continued. He attempted to catch Sirius’s eye again, but his brother didn’t so much as glance in his direction for the rest of the ceremony.

The feast was a welcome distraction from this, however, and Regulus indulged himself in the wide selection of foods. He never got to choose what he ate at home, so this small freedom was a welcome one. Then, when dessert came, he regretted filling his plate so much, thinking he might combust if he had one more bite.

“But you barely had anything!” Narcissa exclaimed as she offered him a platter of chocolate eclairs.

Regulus only shook his head, nauseated just by the thought of taking one. His cousin shrugged, picking out one for herself and lowering it onto her plate.

The greasy haired boy had introduced himself as Severus Snape, and the boy to his left was Garrick Mulciber. To Regulus, they both seemed frightfully impertinent, but Narcissa talked to them conversationally, smiling wickedly whenever they began to complain about the other houses. Severus brought up a group called ‘the marauders’ once or twice, but Regulus wasn’t curious enough to listen to his pompous complaints. Instead, he chatted with the first year who’d sat down next to him, a freckled boy named Bartemius Crouch.

“They just call me Barty though,” he told Regulus through a spoonful of pudding. “I’m jealous.  _ Regulus _ sounds much smarter.”

“Well, thanks,” Regulus said with a small smile. “I think Barty is alright.”

Barty let out a sharp laugh in response. “Yeah, right,” he said sarcastically, grinning as he took another helping of pudding.

Regulus smirked and shrugged. “Actually, I think Sirius has the coolest-”

“For Salazar’s sake, please don’t bring him up,” Narcissa interjected. “You’ll only make things worse for yourself.”

Regulus glanced over at her, wondering if she was joking, only to be met with a look of genuine aversion. He blinked at her for a moment before turning his gaze toward his crumb filled plate. Suddenly, he felt quite bad for his older brother. Sure, he had a knack for trouble and a flair for rebellion, and he did bring quite a mess to their family name, but he was still  _ Sirius _ . He was still their family.

Narcissa seemed to notice his dejection and let out an annoyed sigh. “Don’t you remember what happened with Andromeda?” she asked tightly.

Regulus jerked his head up to look at her. He didn’t need reminding.


	2. The Favorite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus receives a gift from home and apologises to Sirius

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows the events of chapter 23 from ATYD

Regulus woke up the next morning with a pillow to the face.

“Come on Black. You’ll miss the best part of the day!”

He groaned, pushing the dark hair from his eyes to look about the room. Everyone else was either getting dressed or had already left for breakfast, and Barty was no exception. He was outfitted in his Slytherin-issued green tie and black robes, smiling wickedly as he lorded over Regulus.

Regulus pulled the covers back over himself and snuggled deeper into the warmth of the sheets. “Five more minutes,” he mumbled.

Barty’s smile widened and he grabbed the blankets, yanking them from the bed in a single swift motion. A shiver traveled up Regulus's spine as the cold, damp air of the Slytherin dorm rooms hit his body. He shot up and glared at Barty, who promptly threw the sheets back into his face.

“Hurry it up or I’m leaving without you,” he grinned, prancing out of the room with satisfaction.

Regulus rolled his eyes.

After that, it didn’t take them long to find their way back to the Great Hall. People were bustling about, greeting students they hadn’t gotten the chance to see the night before, and sitting in a mixture of red, blue, and gold ties. The Slytherins seemed to keep mostly to themselves, however, and Barty led him over to the same table they ate at the night before.

“I’m starving,” he told Regulus, “and I thought I’d never eat again after last night!”

Regulus forced a smile. He was not starving. In fact, he didn’t even think he was remotely hungry. Still, he took a few slices of plain toast and nibbled on it distractedly, glancing around the room with curiosity, noticing almost everything he’d failed to the night before. This time, however, the teachers were not present, instead leaving the head table wide open. Regulus examined the headmaster's chair with curiosity, absently thinking of Albus Dumbledore.

Suddenly, a loud screech echoed through the hall, and the students looked up to see owls swooping down from the rafters, carrying little white packages and letters. Regulus flinched when one landed right in front of his plate, holding a letter in its hooked beak. He stared at it for a few seconds, its beady orange eyes studying him intently, before he gently reached out and took the envelope. His name was scrawled across the front in dark ink - his mother’s perfect, swirling handwriting - and he pursed his lips, opening it carefully.

_ Regulus, _

_ Congratulations on getting into Slytherin house. Your father and I are so very proud of you. As a reward for your wonderful accomplishment, please write to us using this brand new owl. May it serve you well throughout your school year. We’d love to hear from you and your cousin. Good luck this year, and may you fulfill the duties your family requires of you. We’re counting on you, now, Regulus. _

_ Love, _

_ Mother _

Regulus grimaced at the last sentence, reading it a couple times over. It was clearly meant to be a warning. It was his turn to prove himself, and if he didn’t... 

The owl cooed softly, as if noticing his distress, and cocked its head at its new owner curiously. Regulus smiled at it reassuringly, reaching out to smooth down its feathers. It was a beautiful bird, and he was secretly pleased by the gift, though he was trying very hard not to be. He didn’t want to be pleased by anything his mother had given him.

Suddenly, the bird squawked and flapped its wings as a shadow loomed over them.

“Got a letter from your mum, Black?”

Regulus turned to see Severus standing over his shoulder, smirking mischievously.

“Can I see?” the boy asked snidely.

Regulus opened his mouth to object, but before he could get out an answer, Severus had snatched the letter from his hand and began reading it aloud, so the entire Great Hall could hear. He flushed with embarrassment, scrambling up to grab the letter from the older boy’s hands, but Severus kept it just out of his reach, delivering the words with grandiosity, as if he were in a Shakespearian play. By the time he was done reading it, he was grinning from ear to ear, and the Slytherins had erupted into laughter. Severus pushed the parchment back into Regulus’s chest.

“Thanks, Black,” he said, “Riveting stuff.”

Suddenly, there was a loud voice from across the hall.

“What exactly is your family duty, again? Go ‘round with creeps like Snivellus and Mulciber? Marry your cousin?”

Regulus whirled to see where the voice had come from, only to have his eyes land on James Potter. He was sitting across from Sirius, and Regulus felt his heart sink. Had he heard all that? He must've, there was no way he hadn’t, but Sirius’s back was turned to him. Regulus, unable to see his brother’s expression, narrowed his eyes curiously at James, but the older boy was only smiling.

“Oh yeah,” Regulus finally heard Sirius say. “Inbreeding and creeping are key aspects of my noble heritage. And picking on kids smaller than me, of course; cheating, lying, and cursing my way into power…”

“Well, mate, I’m sorry to break it to you, but it doesn’t sound like you’re a Black at all.”

“Goodness. What on earth  _ am _ I?”

“It’s obvious,” James shrugged, “You’re a Marauder.”

_ Marauder _ . So  _ that’s  _ what Severus had been talking about at the feast. His brother’s merry band of blood traitors was called ‘the marauders.’  _ How appropriate _ , thought Regulus, not the least bit surprised by this new discovery.  _ Just like him to give his trouble a name _ .

Out of the corner of his eye, Regulus saw Severus start reaching for his wand, but he nudged him with an elbow, shaking his head minutely.

“It’s fine,” he muttered, wanting to add,  _ It’s your own fault _ , but refraining from it. He didn’t think he wanted to get on Severus’s bad side. Not until he perfected his hexes.

Severus frowned, disappointed, but obeyed. “Come on,” he sneered loudly, “We’d better get away from all this filth if we want to keep our breakfast down,” and swept out of the room, followed by Mulciber. Barty looked back at Regulus with a cocked eyebrow, asking if he was coming, but Regulus just gestured for him to go on ahead. Then he glanced toward Sirius, trying to gather the courage to head over and apologise. His older brother didn’t deserve to have his family failures announced to the entire school, and it was even worse that Sirius had gotten his owl taken away over the summer, Regulus’s gift being just another stab at an already opened wound. 

He held out his elbow to the owl, and it fluttered its wings before perching there. Then Regulus took a deep breath and headed over to where his brother was sitting.

Sirius didn’t even glance up at him when he arrived, stirring his porridge with intense concentration.

“You can borrow it, if you want,” Regulus offered.

Sirius didn’t say anything, still churning his spoon.

“I never asked her to send me anything, but you know what she’s like.”

He wasn’t really sure why he said this last part. Maybe he just wanted Sirius to know that  _ he  _ wasn't the one trying to hurt his older brother’s pride. But he’d already done that by allowing Severus to humiliate him in front of everybody.

“Yeah,” Sirius snorted finally, “I know.”

He looked up at him then, and Regulus couldn’t help but feel guilty as he was met with the heaviness of Sirius’s gaze. He wanted to say something, anything, but he couldn’t seem to find the right words. What was there to say? How could he apologise for something he couldn’t control? How else could he make it right?

Sirius also looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t, forcing Regulus to be the first one to speak.

“Look, I’m sorry, ok - you knew I’d end up in Slyth-” he started, but Sirius pushed out of his chair and whirled to glare at him.

“I don’t want your owl,” he said stiffly. “If I need to send a letter, I’ll borrow James’s.”

Then Sirius shouldered past Regulus, bumping into him on his way by, and headed out of the Great Hall. His friends from the train got up too, hurrying after him without bothering to finish their breakfast. Regulus’s gaze followed them, watching as the boy with the shaved head, Remus, threw him one last glance. Then the four of them turned the corner, leaving Regulus by himself. He glanced down at his brother’s uneaten porridge and sighed. He, too, had lost his appetite. 


End file.
